My first thought was employers are not providing enough leave. Statistics on Taking leave time. Military leave (17.2%). Maternity leave, paternity leave and adoption leave (8.6%). MORE

We have an employee (paralegal) who is currently out of the office on maternity leave. Her work product prior to leaving was average. How can I (should I) do this while she is out on maternity leave? Not saying that things can't be hidden from managers, but when you wait until the person is out on maternity leave, it looks awfully suspicious. I’m the managing attorney at a small law firm. MORE

Our first part covered tips for deciding whether it’s the right time (workwise) to start a family, and our second part was about preparing for your leave from work. Lifestyle Workplace Maternity Leave Paternity LeavePart 3: Welcome, baby! If you’ve been following our series, we’ve been discussing how to navigate the new world of family and work. MORE

A reader writes: I manage a team of 7, and I have worked hard the past 6 months to prepare for my 12 weeks of maternity leave. I feel like I’m leaving everyone in good hands and will a well-thought-out plan. My question is, should I keep in contact while I’m on maternity leave? Additionally, whatever you decide about your own degree of contact, make sure that you do a lot of planning before you leave. MORE

However, just as you’ve settled into your new life as a parent, everything is rearranged once again as your maternity leave is nearing its end. Returning to work after maternity leave brings many emotions. MORE

My boss hasn’t returned from maternity leave. When I was brought on, I knew that my new manager would be leaving for maternity leave about four months in to my new position. But I figured when she got back from leave we would pick up where we left off. Her maternity leave has been over for almost three weeks now and she still isn’t back to work full-time. Is it normal for people to take extra weeks on top of 12 weeks of maternity leave? MORE

“Mothers report being treated with kindness and respect during their leave, while others complain of being harassed by bosses, subjected to coworker complaints, and pressured to return to work early.&#. Having children can be a time of great joy. It can also be a time of major-league stress. And for working women, the anxiety MORE

Should I resign while my boss is on maternity leave, or on her first day back? My boss is set to return from maternity leave in two weeks, and I’m trying to decide how best to time my resignation, mulling over what you wrote here. But is telling her on the last week of leave too much of a jerk move? I am extremely eager to leave, but I don’t want to be unprofessional or insensitive. Resigning! MORE

My manager is on maternity leave and I’m overwhelmed. My boss just went on maternity leave and I took over her duties in addition to my own. Before my boss left, she suggested to tell people that we are down one person and that our priorities are outline in her maternity leave plan, but that isn’t working so far because people are ignoring that plan and keep coming up to me with their priorities. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. MORE

Remember the reader whose male colleagues kept making comments about how she wouldn’t return from maternity leave , despite her clear statements that she would be returning? Here’s her update: I’m presently out on maternity leave, actually. But after the column, I went and spoke to my manager and told her the comments that were being made and how I didn’t appreciate them and how they were unprofessional, etc. MORE

Thursday, September 09, 2010 SR: Paternity/Maternity Leave Dear Evil HR Lady, My company does not have enough employees to qualify for FMLA. However, they are generously letting me take 14 weeks of maternity leave (2 weeks paid, the rest unpaid). MORE

The New York Times published a graphic over the weekend that is currently making the rounds on social media showing paid maternity leave policies in every country in the world. MORE

An employee had a baby a couple of months ago and went on maternity leave. I just got an email from the new mom saying, “My maternity leave ends in two weeks, and I’m excited to get back to work!” We have just over 50 employees, so we are subject to FMLA. We were all 100 percent sure that she would quit to stay home with the baby. Her husband has a good job and her sisters are stay-at-home moms. So, we started working on replacing her. MORE

Yes, it’s hard to believe the maternity leave flew so quickly. See Parts 1, 2 and 3 for more on a smooth transition and making the most of maternity leave.) And just like that, you’re back at the office. As I mentioned in a previous piece in this series, you won’t know how you’re going [.]. Lifestyle Workplace Baby MORE

There’s been a lot of buzz lately about unlimited vacation and parental leave. On August 4 th , 2015 Netflix’s Chief Talent Officer, Tawni Cranz announced a new unlimited leave policy for new moms and dads during the first year after a child’s birth or adoption. The company I work for, a la mode technologies recently announced a four-day workweek, as well as unlimited vacation and parental leave. ” Ultimately, unlimited vacation and leave is about trust. MORE

Sherry specialises in building women’s confidence for returning to work after a career break or maternity leave, but the advice she gives in this episode is great for anyone lacking confidence in their work life. MORE

Dear Evil HR Lady, I was wondering about something: my boss is currently pregnant and I was asked to replace her during her six-months maternity leave. This involves about twice the responsibilities and work hours on top of managing three people. What happens salary-wise in these situations? Should I ask for raise? Stay silent and hope that the end-of-the-year bonus will make up for the bigger workload? Whatever you do, don't stay silent MORE

This week Marissa Mayer announced that she is pregnant with twins and will again be taking a paltry two week leave after their birth. Why take such a short leave if not to demonstrate her capability to other (male) managers and leaders? HR Life maternity leave parental leave MORE

As a general rule of thumb, it’s the Mother’s Leave of Absence; she is free to do as she pleases while on it. In my 30+ years as an employment attorney, I have never heard of any law or company policy that stipulates what a new Mom can do, or cannot do, while on her Maternity Leave. It is her right, her leave, her time, her baby, and her business what she does on that leave of absence. Considering not returning after Maternity Leave? MORE

Last week Netflix announced a new “unlimited” paid parental leave policy and Microsoft an expansion of their program to 12 weeks. This week Adobe announced their paid maternal leave benefits would expand to 26 weeks. Will the trend of increasing parental leave expand past the tech industry? Parental Leave Adds Value for Employees. At Adobe, the expansion of maternity leave wasn’t the only announcement. MORE

However, it is not an ideal world and due to finances, insurance, or career goals many new moms need to continue working even while on leave. Family Medical Leave Act (or FMLA) laws vary by state, but generally women or men are able to take 12 weeks off work after the birth of a child. MORE

It’s also hot news whenever a tech giant or unicorn offers breast milk delivery or extends parental leave. Extended parental leaves look great on paper, but in reality employees rarely use all that extra time. HR Life benefits maternity leave parental leave work perks MORE

Leaving your little one at home is stressful enough without considering how the dynamics of your job may have changed while you were away on maternity leave. Here are some power tips for getting back into the swing of things after maternity leave. MORE

My workload will plummet while my boss is on maternity leave. I do not want to seem like I only care about what her leave will mean for me when I realize she probably has a lot on her mind already, but I am concerned. Go back to Barbie and say this: “I’ve been thinking about what my work will look like while you’re on maternity leave, and realize that the amount of work for me to do will change significantly during that time. It’s five answers to five questions. MORE

While it can be understandable that some employers are reluctant to hire someone who will likely be requesting maternity leave almost immediately, it’s not impossible to find those that are willing to hire a pregnant woman when she is the best candidate for the job. MORE

Employer diversity equality gender inequality Maternity Leave paternity pay gapDespite the strides we have made in gender inequality, female workers still get paid less than their male counterparts, with women significantly underrepresented in senior management roles. MORE

I keep getting work questions while I’m on maternity leave. I’ve seen a couple of questions on your blog addressing answering questions after leaving a position. I am currently on maternity leave and arranged with my employer that after a few months, I will be working part-time from home with a flexible schedule on only one piece of my previous job. If she’s emailing you at your work address, stop checking that; you’re on leave.). MORE

Miscellaneous Workplace Maternity Leave PregnancySo, you’re buried in “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and hanging on every word your doctor says. Maybe you’re all into Snickers bars (Halloween is coming up and they are on sale, after all!) or maybe you’re a kale smoothie kind of gal, but either way, the time has come… No, not to have [.]. MORE

I was demoted after my maternity leave. Just prior to my leave, a replacement was hired to take over my position as supervisor of a small department of hourly workers. Is it legal to return from maternity leave and be temporarily demoted? Absent unrelated reasons, they must return you the position you held before taking leave or an equivalent position. It’s five short answers to five short questions. Here we go…. MORE

We have an employee (paralegal) who is currently out of the office on maternity leave. Her work product prior to leaving was average. How can I (should I) do this while she is out on maternity leave? Not saying that things can't be hidden from managers, but when you wait until the person is out on maternity leave, it looks awfully suspicious. I’m the managing attorney at a small law firm. MORE

When it comes to maternity leave, most people expect that it is paid benefit offered by all employers when, in all actuality, it is not. Maternity leave will generally fall into one of two categories ; your typical maternity disability or medical leave and family medical leave (FMLA). MORE

I know my coworker secretly plans to quit after her maternity leave. We have a temp coming in to transition her work during her leave from June to October. I think taking months of maternity leave pay and benefits, knowing you are going to quit shortly thereafter (within 2 months), is robbery and a truly bad thing to do. That said, even if you told HR, they can’t deny her the ability to use her leave, so her plan will go forward anyway. MORE

Paternity leave is the time a father takes off work at the birth or adoption of a child, and when I first started working 13 years ago, no men I knew took it.    These days, more and more new dads are taking advantage of paternity leave, which is typically unpaid although some companies offer fathers paid time off ranging from a few days to a few weeks. Many men are concerned that they will be discriminated against for taking either paid or unpaid leave.  MORE

However, they are generously letting me take 14 weeks of maternity leave (2 weeks paid, the rest unpaid). If it were me, I'd allow both male and female employees the 12 weeks of leave. Chances are, very few men will take the leave, so the company doesn't lose anything and they are protected from a potential discrimination lawsuit. Of course, someone will pipe up that men in Sweden all take time off now, but they also get paid leave MORE

Negotiating pay if I fill in during my manager’s maternity leave. Recently, the manager I’m working with was told by her doc to go on early maternity leave, which leaves her post open for about 6 months. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. Should I say something about my coworker regularly bringing her granddaughter to work? A part-time work colleague has started bringing her granddaughter to work regularly. MORE

My all-male coworkers have started bombarding me with doubt when I mention that I will be returning after my maternity leave. male coworkers don’t believe I’m coming back after maternity leave was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I’m currently the youngest member of my team and the only female non-manager within my team. MORE

Friday, July 16, 2010 My Boss is Going on Maternity Leave and Im Taking Her Responsibilities Dear Evil HR Lady, I was wondering about something: my boss is currently pregnant and I was asked to replace her during her six-months maternity leave. Evil HR Lady Why am I evil? MORE

I was hurt when the person I’m covering for maternity leave attended our Christmas lunch. I’m filling a maternity leave role with the agreement in place that I will be hired full-time. Over the holiday season, our unit had a Christmas lunch and when we showed up at the venue, the person I’m replacing (who is still on her maternity leave) was there waiting to join us for lunch. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. MORE

You definitely can’t give a reference that leaves out the worst parts. I don’t think I want to come back from maternity leave. I am about to have a baby in a few short months, and I am starting to panic and have second thoughts about the plans for leave that I originally made with my boss. Initially, I wanted to keep my options open and not commit to staying or leaving either way, and I just kind of let everyone assume I would be coming back. MORE

We don’t know all the facts of the case yet, but this will be one to watch simply because of the current climate around pregnancy, leave and work. This week I’ve got another grab bag of reads for you. MORE

Parental Leave Policies. Don’t talk about maternity-leave until you’ve gotten the offer. Research the company’s parental-leave policy on sites such as Working Mother, Glassdoor, and CareerBliss. Job Search career advice job search while pregnant job serach maternity MORE

Career Management Career break Maternity Leave MumsWhether you enjoy or dislike your job, are planning a long or a short break from work, this could be the ideal time to reflect and ponder over what you might like to do next. Use this time out to your advantage. MORE

Maternity Leave Options. One of the most important parts of maintaining a career at the same time as having a baby is knowing your company’s maternity leave policies. Once you have figured out the maternity leave options it’s important to consider childcare. MORE